CHENNAI: The State government has decided to develop a mobile application to map all its assets and facilities for planning and decision-making. The form-based application would also help field surveys.
Using the GPS and Geographic Information System features in the application, users can collect data, including photos, videos and text, on their Android devices. The app will be developed under the existing Tamil Nadu-GIS formed by the IT Department.
A senior official told DT Next that in addition to the app the authorities are also developing a GIS-based project management application to track the physical and financial progress of all infrastructure projects taken up by different departments.
Mapping assets at the State level will help identify and build on the existing resources, networks, and strength, which helps emphasise capacity building and community based solutions across all districts.
"Government assets could be collected and spatially mapped by the department officials. After successful registration, the application will be ready to capture the assets related to the department," the official said.
Local authorities in areas that are not otherwise considered bright prospects could also use the information to encourage investment by highlighting State-owned assets that can be used for welfare projects.
"A comprehensive training will be given on using the app effectively, and mapping databases would be reviewed from time to time to keep the government assets intact," he said.
There are also plans to develop mobile/web application to capture crop information across the State in each season with geo-fenced validation. "This data will be used for updating the existing database and deriving statistics for planning and policy making," he added.